Theatrical machinery. Temperamental brilliance.
Ferrari and Lamborghini service, led by Marco DiStefano — twenty-two years in the marque, previously senior technician at Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale. Engine-out majors on 355s, 360s, and F430s. F1-gearbox specialty. The only independent shop in Palm Beach County that routinely performs Ferrari concours-level restoration on the same floor as weekly maintenance.
Italian cars are not problems. They're intentions.
A Ferrari engine is a sculpture first and a machine second. Lamborghini chassis are tuned to communicate every imperfection in the road directly to the driver's spine because that is what makes them Lamborghini chassis. These are design choices, not failures. Most of what general shops diagnose as "issues" on an Italian car are the car behaving exactly as it was intended to.
That said — Italian cars do have issues, and the issues are specific, knowable, and almost always predictable. F1 transmission accumulators fail on a clock. F355 cam belts need specific interval service. 458 intake manifolds have a known carbon issue. Huracán coil packs come in batches. We've been fixing these cars long enough to know what each model will need next, and we plan for it.
"The cars don't break. They age. A Ferrari that's been properly serviced for thirty years is perfect. A Ferrari that's been cheaply serviced for three years is broken forever."
From 348 forward.
Complete Ferrari coverage from the 348 TB/TS (1989) through current production: F355, 360 Modena, F430, 458 Italia and Speciale, 488 and Pista, F8 Tributo and Spider, 812 Superfast, Roma, SF90, 296 GTB, Purosangue, and GT models including the California, Portofino, and California T. Older GTB/GTO work (Testarossa, 512, 288 GTO) handled by consultation — we partner with a specialist in Sarasota for pre-1989 cars.
Marco spent eight years at Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale before joining us in 2011. He trained directly under the factory program — Leonardo-diagnostic certified, SD3 certified, authorized to perform all dealer-level services. Our Ferrari work is done to dealer-level standards, with dealer-level scan tools, at approximately sixty percent of dealer-level pricing.
> FERRARI FACTORY TECHNICIAN · 2003
> SD3 + LEONARDO DIAGNOSTIC · CURRENT
> F1 GEARBOX SPECIALIST · CURRENT
> ENGINE-OUT MAJORS · 355/360/F430 · CURRENT
> ASE L1 ADVANCED · LIFETIME
V10, V12, and the occasional Countach.
Gallardo (all variants), Huracán (Coupe, Spyder, EVO, Performante, STO, Sterrato, Tecnica), Aventador (LP700-4, S, SVJ, Ultimae), Urus, and the new Revuelto. For Countach and Diablo owners, we handle on-site service — we have one Countach client in Boca and a Diablo owner in Wellington who've been with us since 2013 and 2018 respectively.
Marco apprenticed at Lamborghini Miami before moving to Ferrari, which is why he handles both sides of the Italian bench. The V10 Huracán engine shares a platform with the Audi R8, but the service approach is very different — Lamborghini recalibrates the ECUs, upgrades the exhaust, and rebalances the rotating assembly from the factory. You cannot service one as if it were the other.
> LAMBORGHINI CERTIFIED · 2008
> LARA & VCI DIAGNOSTIC · CURRENT
> HURACÁN V10 MAJOR · CURRENT
> AVENTADOR V12 SPECIALTY · CURRENT
> URUS AIR-SUSPENSION · CURRENT
Every modern model, serviced in-house.
Complete coverage from 1989 forward for both marques. Earlier cars (pre-1989 Ferrari, pre-1974 Countach, classic Lamborghini front-engined V12s) by consultation and partnership with our specialist network.
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Four jobs we own in this region.
Most shops can change the oil on a Ferrari. These are the jobs that require specific tooling, specific training, and years of dedicated experience. They are why cars come to us from Coral Gables and from as far as Savannah.
F355 / 360 / F430 engine-out service
The defining maintenance item on mid-engined Ferraris from this era. Complete engine-out procedure: timing belts, tensioners, water pump, cam seals, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, engine-mount inspection, clutch inspection and replacement if due, header inspection. Every stage photographed. 2-3 week turnaround. Factory-correct Cortco belts only.
> OEM BELTS · TENSIONERS · WATER PUMP · CLUTCH · PHOTO DOCFerrari F1 gearbox full service
The F1 system (355, 360, F430, 599, California) fails predictably if not serviced. Fluid and filter, accumulator pressure test, hydraulic bleed, TCU re-adaptation via SD3, clutch position-sensor calibration, and documented clutch-wear measurement (exact remaining-life in mm). Every F1 gearbox in the shop passes across Marco's bench.
> SD3 · ACCUMULATOR · CLUTCH POSITION · ADAPT RESET458 Italia / Speciale intake-manifold service
Direct-injection Ferraris accumulate carbon on intake valves on a known schedule. By 40,000 miles the car loses meaningful power and develops a rough idle. We perform walnut-shell media blasting with the intake manifold removed and inspected — the only truly effective carbon-removal method. Dealer wants $8,400. We do it for $3,600.
> MANIFOLD OFF · WALNUT MEDIA · FLOW TEST · RECALIBRATELamborghini Huracán Performante track prep
ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva) active-aero system service, carbon-ceramic brake inspection, race-pad swap to Pagid RSL29, race-tire mounting, four-wheel alignment to track spec, corner balancing. Pre- and post-event package. We've prepped Performantes for Sebring, Homestead, and COTA.
> ALA SERVICE · PAGID RSL29 · CORNER BALANCE · PRE/POSTWhat we see every week.
These are the jobs that come through the Italian bench most often. Pricing is indicative — exact figures depend on model, year, and condition.
Ferrari annual minor service
Annual service across all modern Ferrari models. OEM 10W-60 Shell Helix oil (factory-correct), OEM filter, cabin filter, brake fluid check and top-up, tire rotation with torque verification, 60-point inspection, Leonardo diagnostic scan, battery test.
F355 engine-out major
Full factory major service with engine removed. Timing belts, tensioners, water pump, cam seals, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, engine-mount refresh, clutch inspection, header-stud inspection. Every stage photographed. Factory-correct Cortco belt kit only. Due every 30,000 miles or 5 years — whichever comes first.
360 Modena engine-out major
Same scope as F355 with model-specific differences. Particular attention to header-stud condition (known failure point on 360s) and clutch-wear measurement. Post-service, 30-mile break-in drive and second-day torque verification included.
F1 gearbox service (355/360/F430/599)
Complete F1-transmission service. Fluid and filter, accumulator pressure test, hydraulic bleed, TCU re-adaptation, clutch-wear measurement to factory spec (exact remaining-life recorded in mm), full SD3 diagnostic. Every F1 job documented with before/after photos and wear measurements for client records.
458 Italia intake-manifold service (carbon removal)
Intake manifold removed, walnut-shell media blasting of intake valves and ports, manifold inspection and flow test, reinstallation with new gaskets, full scan-tool recalibration. Due every 40,000-50,000 miles on direct-injection Ferraris. Restores full power delivery and idle quality.
Huracán major service
Full factory major with V10-specific procedures. Oil and filter (Mobil 1 factory-spec), spark plugs (all 10), air filters, brake fluid flush, DCT fluid and filter, 120-point inspection, LARA diagnostic scan, full fluid inventory.
Aventador ISR clutch service
Independent Shifting Rod transmission clutch replacement — single-clutch automated system with known wear interval. Clutch pack replacement, flywheel resurface if needed, hydraulic-line bleed, TCU re-adaptation. Typically required by 25,000-40,000 miles depending on driving style.
Pre-purchase inspection (Ferrari or Lamborghini)
Written 180-point inspection with Leonardo or LARA history scan, compression and leak-down baseline, F1/ISR clutch measurement where applicable, paint depth measurement, underside documentation, service-record verification, engine-out interval assessment.
Every Italian engine in this shop goes across Marco's bench.
Marco DiStefano apprenticed at Lamborghini Miami before moving to Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale, where he spent eight years as a senior technician. He joined Apex in 2011 specifically for the F1-gearbox and engine-out work — Ferrari dealerships often rotate technicians through those services, which means no one person develops the depth of experience that the work demands. At Apex, every F1 gearbox and every engine-out major gets Marco. Same hands, same signature, every time.
He owns a 1987 328 GTS that's been his since 2014. He serviced it himself before he worked here, and he still services it himself on weekends.
- FERRARI FACTORY TECHNICIAN (2003, CURRENT)
- LAMBORGHINI CERTIFIED (2008, CURRENT)
- SD3 + LEONARDO DIAGNOSTIC (CURRENT)
- LARA + VCI DIAGNOSTIC (CURRENT)
- ASE L1 ADVANCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE
- 8 YEARS FERRARI OF FORT LAUDERDALE (2003-2011)
A few honest observations for Italian-car owners.
On F355 engine-out intervals.
Ferrari's 5-year interval on the engine-out major is not optional. It's not "if the belt looks okay." Cortco cam belts fail on a clock regardless of miles driven, and when they fail on a 5-valve-per-cylinder head, the engine is finished. We've seen three F355s destroyed this way in the past decade, all owned by people who'd been told by a general shop that the belts "looked fine." Do the service. Budget the $10,000. It is what the car needs.
On 360 header studs.
The 360 has a known issue where exhaust-manifold studs fail progressively from heat cycling. Symptoms are a ticking sound at idle that gets worse under throttle. If you catch it early, it's a same-day fix. If you catch it late, you're pulling the engine and machining the head. Every 360 that comes in for any service gets the stud inspection as part of the work order — at no charge. It takes Marco fifteen minutes and has saved multiple clients from a catastrophic bill.
On the 458's appreciation.
The 458 is now the last naturally-aspirated V8 mid-engine Ferrari, and the market has noticed. Values on Speciale and Aperta models have roughly doubled in five years. If you own one, service it properly — the intake-manifold carbon-service job, the annual minor, the brake fluid intervals. These are now appreciating assets, and undocumented maintenance hurts values dramatically. Ours is the only shop in PBC that issues a complete service history binder per job.
On Huracán coil packs.
Early Huracán coil packs came in batches, and some batches were weaker than others. If you have a 2015-2017 Huracán and it stumbles on cold starts or throws misfire codes intermittently, it's almost certainly coils — don't let a general shop chase ignition modules, plugs, or the ECU. Replace all ten coils with updated factory parts (Lamborghini issued a revised coil around 2018). Six hundred dollars in parts, done in a day.
Let's talk about your car.
Whether it's a scheduled service, an engine-out major, or a pre-purchase inspection on a car you're considering, send us a note and Marco will reach out personally.